Hundreds of European firefighting teams are set to arrive in Greece to tackle a huge fire near Athens. The battle to control a deadly blaze in the capital’s suburbs continued for a third day on Tuesday. Several European countries have told Greek authorities they will send aircraft and firefighters to help control Greece’s worst fires so far this year. Strong winds and extreme heat have fanned the flames, which have spread across dry areas. One person is reported to have died in the fires and thousands have been forced to flee as the blazes cause widespread devastation. At least 66 people have been treated for injuries. Two firefighters have also been injured. “We are in a better situation,” Costas Tsigkas, the head of the Greek fire officers’ union, told state television ERT on Tuesday. “But the situation will not get easier again. The winds will pick up from the afternoon… each passing hour will get more difficult,” he said. Greece’s National Observatory said temperatures of up to 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) are expected in Athens on Tuesday, with wind speeds of up to 39 kilometers (24 miles) per hour. About 700 firefighters with 200 fire engines and nine aircraft were battling a blaze that broke out in the town of Varnavas, about 35 kilometers northeast of Athens, on Sunday afternoon, the fire department said. At least 10,000 hectares (24,700 acres) of land have been destroyed by the wildfire, the National Observatory said on Monday. Additional firefighters, helicopters, fire engines and water tankers are expected to join the effort from France, Italy, the Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia and Turkey, following a call for international help by the Greek government, officials said. A woman’s body was found inside a burned-out factory in Athens on Tuesday, marking the first death from the wildfires.
EU firefighters join forces to tackle fires in Greece
